Superman: Ruins of the Earth
by TeamUnitedNerds
Summary: Superman arrives at Earth after Darkseid already conquered it, and is now raised by Lex Luthor to be humanity's savior
1. Chapter 1

The night was calm and quiet, and a pleasant, cool breeze blew through the air as a lone pod slammed into the surface of the Earth with enormous force. Mounds of mud were flung into the air from the impact, and the ground shook violently as waves of force surged through the dirty below.

The pod itself was a simple, but smooth egg-shaped silver vehicle. From behind a rounded screen of glass, a small, but extraordinary baby wailed, its shriek muffled, but still audible. As it screamed, it pounded its tiny fists against the screen, but only small cracks formed on its surface. The infant thrashed more forcefully, it's legs now slamming against the pod. With a sharp shattering sound, fragments of glass were flung into the air. The infant crawled out, looking at the world around with curiosity.

If the baby were not so small and niave, what it saw would have horrified it beyond description. All around it was acts of pure, soulless evil. Buildings burned, and within them, so did innocents. Skeletal, soulless beasts flew down from the sky to maul anyone unlucky enough to be near one. Perhaps, the infant wasn't too young to understand. Perhaps, the piercing, booming roar that it let out was a sign that deep down, it understood evil, for the first time. Its wail was met with a fiery explosion that lit up the night sky.

The next thing the baby saw was a the cold, ridged face of a man looking down at him. His expression was so restrained that it was almost as if the man was going out of his way to look as emotionless as possible. He was bald, his head reflecting the dim light coming from the ceiling and wore a neat, black suit. His appearance was overall almost compulsively flawless.

"What I want to know is how this infant managed to survive an explosion of that magnitude" the man said, facing another behind him, dressed in the armor of a soldier. He carried a gun at his side, and responded to the man's question instantly. "I'm not sure, sir"

Luthor stared at the baby with a mix of fascination and disgust. "What are you" he said, handing the baby for the soldier before turning around and shouting "That blast could incinerate a tank! I'd like an explanation as to why a newborn could walk away from it without a scratch!"

A man carrying a clipboard ran into the room, panting lightly. His hair was slicked back, and he wore tiny, round glasses upon his face "Mr. Luthor, sir. After Darkseid's minions left the area, we found something by where the bomb went off"

Luthor took in a deep breath, and regained his calm demeanor. "And what was that?"

"Well, Mr Luthor, we found a pod crashed into the ground. It doesn't look like anything that Darkseid would use. Perhaps it's somehow connected to the child"

"Get DNA samples from the inside of the pod" Luthor said, looking back at the infant. "And keep this child locked up until we can gather more information"

One of the soldiers lifted up the baby, and looked at Luthor, wearing a puzzled expression. "Excuse me sir, you want me to just put him in one of our cells?"

"Of course" Luthor said, facing the men with the clipboard. "Go on, get the samples!" the man adjusted his glasses, and ran towards the heavily metal door at the end of the room. He wrapped his hand around the metal handle, and turned it with enormous force. The door creaked open, and he sprinted out, yelling "Alright Mr Luthor" as he ran down the hallway.

Luthor sat down upon his desk, which was placed in the center of the room. The chair was made of wood, covered in a shiny coat of black paint. He clutched his head in his hands, a headache slowly building within him.

The man with the clipboard returned, running into the room with sweat dripping from his brown, and down his cheek. Luthor's headache now built to the point where it felt like a dagger was being driven into his skull. Luthor stood up, and whipped around. He stared at the man, with such ferocity that it terrified him. "What is it?" he said, sharply.

"Well...Mr Luthor, we took the DNA samples. Whatever this child is, it isn't human. The technology in the pod itself is remarkable"

"Well, is it anything that Darkseid would use?" Luthor asked. The man shook his head. "It's nothing like Darkseid's technology. This child is of a completely different species"

Lex Luthor stared at the baby, consumed by curiosity. "Do you know what this means?" he said, everyone in the room turning towards him. "Darkseid's bomb couldn't even damage this creature, as a mere infant. Imagine what it could become if we trained it, and raised it to be our greatest soldier, we would have a chance. Humanity might not be doomed just yet"

The man with the clipboard looked at his feet, and let out a long, tired sigh. "Would you like me to assign one of the women to raise him, Mr Luthor?" he asked.

"No" Luthor said. "He must be brought up and trained by my own hands. If he is to become humanity's champion, he must be trained by the best that humanity currently has, and that would be me"

"But, Mr Luthor, we'll still need someone to command the rest of humanity's forces. Can you honestly raise a child and lead properly?"

"You doubt my capability to manage more than one task, especially one as simple as raising a child?" Luthor said, clutching his fists angrily. He lifted up the baby, and stared into it's blue eyes, which darted around, curiously. "Listen child, I am going to break your very will and spirit if it means turning you into humanity's weapon. You are going to become humanity's new hope. You have a power within you, something beyond the rest of us. But do not think for a moment that you are superior to me"

He walked out of the room, the child in his arms. "Your name shall be Clark Luthor" he whispered to the child. "Born from fire, proven by fire, child of another world. But above all, you are my son, a fact which I could not be any more proud of. You are my son"


	2. Chapter 2

Lex Luthor was correct about one thing, he was able to continue supporting the human resistance while raising Clark. It might have been because of Clark, or perhaps not, but humanity did not manage to conquer or win against Darkseid, instead, it merely managed to stay where it was, without loss or gain.

Clark had grown from an infant to a young boy at a faster rate than an ordinary human. He appeared around the age of 13, despite being only 7. Luthor had created a suit for him, in order to keep him protected. It was a sky blue suit of light armor, with a red cape on the back. The armor covered up only his upper half. His pants were but ordinary jeans, held in place by a belt buckle which Luthor no longer had use for.

Luthor had trained Clark to be as physically perfect as he could be, with rigorous daily training. Today, Luthor was determined to fulfill his promise of breaking Clark. Whenever he wished to train his son, Luthor would call Clark over to an open arena, where they could fight without the threat of hurting anyone else. The arena was closed off, and the only lights that shown within were artificial and yellowed. The concrete ground of the arena was chipped and damaged from previous conflicts as well.

Clark looked around the arena, taking it in again. No matter how many times he fought within this arena, it still seemed alien to him. Luthor walked into the center of the arena, and removed his shirt. His muscles rippled as he raised his arms, in preparation for combat. Clark did the same, but his stance was slightly more nervous, and less forceful. Luthor paused for a moment, allowing the silence of the arena to sink in. The silence was cut off suddenly by Luthor proclaiming towards the hallway leading out of the arena "Guard, bring me my armor!"

A guard came running into the arena, each of his steps echoing with a heavy thud. In his arms were various pieces of technology, the weight of which caused a burning in his shoulders. He bent down, and placed them at Luthor's feet, before running away. Luthor picked up his armor, and began to put it on.

The first piece was a heavy plate of chest armor. It was mechanical, and colored a dark purple. On it's center was a glowing bulb of radiant, yellow light. He placed it upon his chest, and the armor began to shift, mechanical tendrils wrapping around Luthor's back, attaching the suit to his skin. Next, he picked up two gloves, each neon green. He put the gloves on, clutching his fists into a tight ball. Finally, he placed a helmet upon his head. It was reflectively metallic (Although less so than Luthor's own bald head), and the design of the helmet itself was sharp, almost aerodynamic.

Without a moment of hesitation, Luthor drove his fist through the air, towards Clark. Clark began to ascend in the air, completely avoiding Luthor's attack. "Clark, what did I tell you about flying? You cannot rely on flight alone to protect you" he said. A jet of fire suddenly sprung from Luthor's armor, propelling him upwards with furious speed. The flames left a blazing trail behind him, as he soared through the air. He slammed his shoulder into Clark, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to plummet back to the ground.

Clark smashed into the floor of the arena, creating another rocky crater. He got to his feet swiftly, and did something that surprised even him. From his mouth came a large, icy stream of freezing air, so thick that it looked like a storm of ice crystals were blowing from his mouth. The stream enveloped Luthor, freezing him in a solid block of ice, all the way up to his neck. He struggled to move, but even with his armor's enhanced strength, he was immobile. He growled in frustration. "Well done, Clark. You've found a new ability" he said, trying his best to sound happy. He struggled, trying to shatter his icy prison, but with no success.

"I think it's about time we show Darkseid your power" Luthor said. He had been withholding Clark from combat, fearing that humanity's only hope would be killed before he could save them. But now, he felt that he was ready. Clark's face suddenly lit up. All his life, he knew his purpose was to save mankind, and for every moment he spent training, he felt unfulfilled.

"But first, we need a name for you. A symbol as well. Something memorable, something meaningful. Stay here"

Clark did what he was told as Luthor walked away. He sat upon the ground, and closed his eyes, waiting calmly. He heard the sound of Luthor's footsteps. "Stand up" he ordered, and Clark did as he was told. Luthor pressed a symbol on his chest, triangular, with a "S" on it. It stuck to his armor, and stayed their, a symbol to be remembered by.

"From now forward, you will be known as Superboy. Understand?" Clark nodded, and clutched his fists together. "Now" Luthor said. "Are you prepared to face the nightmarish horrors that Darkseid has brought upon our world?"

Clark nodded, before flying through the air with enough force to shatter the roof of the arena. He soared through the cloudy red air, before falling to the ground gracefully. He was now outside of Luthor's shelter for the first time in years. He looked around at the world, and memories came back to him of when he was only a child, when he first saw the evil that now consumed the world

And he fell to his knees and began to weep.


	3. Chapter 3

Clark was on his knees, stinging, hot tears pouring from his eyes and onto the soft, grassy ground as he took in the evil around him. He swiftly wiped his eyes and rose to his feet. Luthor had always told him that sadness and weakness were one and the same. The words "Cease your whining and fight like a true man" echoed in his ears.

Clark looked around with the eyes of a stronger man, and saw a multitude of different people being slaughtered by Darkseid's alien soldiers. The green grass around him was stained with the blood and entrails of the alien's victims. Clark inhaled deeply, his longs strong enough to suck up ten people's worth of air. Clark began to run, his feet slamming into the ground with enough force to sent the dirt beneath him skyward in massive clumps. His speed was blinding, his body visible as nothing more than a blue and red blur. His expensive sneakers, given to him by Luthor, began to peel, before melting into rubbery puddles of black goo.

He smashed into one of the alien soldiers, causing a brutal, hallow cracking noise to echo throughout the area. The alien's entire midsection was flattened, and a burst of green blood exploded from its mouth. The alien fell to the ground limply, its arms bent unnaturally.

The other soldiers glared at Clark, furious at the defeat of their comrade. The monstrous alien creatures flew towards him on their brutal, golden wings. Clark swung his fist at the first of them, shattering the armor off of its face and sending it flying backwards, while its blood arced through the air.

Clark glared at the other, twin beams of heat firing from his eyes. The beams pierced through the chest of the alien, causing its heart to burst. It clutched the charred hole on its chest in some futile attempt to cease its agony, but instead, it just slowed the bleeding, giving Clark enough time to finish the creature off with a final punch. His fist smashed through the creature's head. It exploded like a watermelon being smashed beneath a hammer, bathing Clark in purple blood and bits of the creature's brain. Clark felt repulsed at how easy killing had been. It was just as simple as two movements of his hands. He stared at those hands, marveling at how much power was within them. All he needed to do was thrust them towards something, anything, and he could end its existence forever. And his eyes. The same thing that allowed him to see what was left of the beauty of the planet around him could set it all ablaze just as easily. He was just a teenager, but one with the power and responsibility of a god. It seemed unfair, not to him, but to humanity, and Darkseid's forces as well. The powers of life and death did not belong with someone so young.

But yet, there was nothing he could do. The powers he had were his own. Wishing that someone else would have been given them instead would accomplish nothing. Instead of merely hoping for someone better to come along, he had to be that person. He clenched his fist. He looked over at the other alien. It was alive, but its jaw had been broken. Clark flew over to it, and wrapped his hand around its neck. "Where is Darkseid?" he asked, loosening his grip enough to allow the creature to speak. "I...will...never...tell...you" it said, it's speech choked and malformed. Clark took his other hand, and began to drive it between the creature's ribs, not yet puncturing its skin. "I said, where is he!?"

The creature only whimpered. "I'll give you one more chance" he said, his teeth gritting together with enough force to split a man's spine. The creature still didn't respond. Clark closed his eyes, while driving his hand through the creature's chest, pulling out its heart. He gagged as he felt the slimy, still beating organ in his hand. He dropped it in repulsion, and opened his eyes to see that the creature had collapsed, dead. Clark gave it a look, using his x-ray vision to see into it. Besides the fact that the creature's anatomy was like nothing he had ever seen, he couldn't find anything within it that would help him locate Darkseid. He grunted, only to see Lex Luthor land behind him, wearing his suit of armor. "Did you find anything?" he asked, looking down at the body. "No..." Clark said.

"Well, that's unfortunate. So what you're saying is, you burst through the roof of our bunker, and charged into battle without waiting for support, for absolutely nothing?" his face tightened like a vice.

Clark was speechless. He wanted to debate his adopted father, but he had nothing to say. "I'm sorry, I promise, it won't happen again"

Luthor still looked enraged, but he nodded. "Fine" he said. "It doesn't matter. Our scientists have been doing research on some blood samples we took when you were a child. They finally determined that your cells feed on sunlight, not unlike a plant. The constant smog created by Darkseid's factories has blocked out most solar rays from reaching you. Enough to keep you more far powerful than the average human, but not nearly enough to harness your full potential"

Clark was stunned. After all this time, he wasn't using a fraction of his full power. If he was a god now, what would he be once his full power was harnessed? His brain could process and comprehend things beyond any human, but even it boggled at that thought.

His thought was cut short by Luthor. "Our scientists created a way for you to absorb sunlight, even with the smog shield. They created a satellite that, when launched into space, will absorb the rays of the sun, and transfer the energy into your suit. The hard part is getting the satellite into space"

"And how will we do that?" Clark asked, afraid he already knew the answer. "You'll have to fly the satellite up yourself. The scientists who studied your anatomy also discovered that you can survive in space without the aid of any equipment" Clark looked off in the distance, and saw a helicopter drop what was, indeed, a giant satellite several hundred feet away from him. He stepped towards it slowly, sweat dripping from his forehead. He didn't sweat from exhaustion, since nothing on Earth could wear him down, no, the only time he perspired was when he was nervous, which was most likely why he found himself craving fear. Something as strange as sweating was just appealing to him. It made him feel more human.

He wiped the humanity from his brow as he arrived at the satellite. He clenched its bottom edges in his land, lifting the massive hunk of metal above his head effortlessly. Luthor nodded, as Clark slowly began to ascend into the mucky sky. He took in a deep breath, before speeding up, soaring towards the atmosphere at incredible speed. He finally reached the atmosphere. The satellite acted as a kind of shield from the flames, causing the fiery cascade to fall around Superman.

He found himself in space, liberated from gravity. He looked around, finding something artful about the shimmering, distant stars suspended in a sea of never changing darkness. He wondered if one of the stars was the one that his home belonged to. His train of thought was derailed when a mechanical tentacle wrapped around his waist, dragging him into a larger spaceship hovering above.


End file.
